From Wingspan’s website:

“Gen Silent,” an award-winning documentary delineating the increasing isolation of aging gays and lesbians seeking health care, will be shown October 21 at 2:00 p.m. in the Tucson Jewish Community Center auditorium at 3800 E. River Road, and is free to the public.

Brought to you by the Tucson International Jewish Film Festival, Pima Council on Aging (PCOA), and Wingspan Senior Pride.

Wingspan , Southern Arizona’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, will present the free film screening to help raise awareness about the needs of LGBT ‘Boomers’ and older adults, in partnership with the Tucson International Jewish Film Festival, Pima Council on Aging and other local health service providers.

‘Gen Silent,’ is a powerful film that puts a face on what experts in the film call an epidemic: lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults still afraid of discrimination in health care, and being forced to retreat back into the closet, said Kevin Maxey, a Wingspan board member and film screening organizer.

The film is especially relevant to health care professionals, long-term and in-home care providers, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults and their allies, said Sandy Davenport, a PCOA Caregiver Specialist.

A reception starts at 1:30 p.m. to enjoy light refreshments and mingle before the one-hour film screening starts at 2:00 p.m., followed by a post- film discussion of the issues at 3:00 p.m., presented by Wingspan Senior Pride and Pima Council on Aging.

For details about the free event, call Wingspan at 624-1779 in Tucson, or visit online at www.wingspan.org.

From Loft Cinema: http://www.loftcinema.com/endbullying

Saturday, April 28th at 10:00 am
Free Admission

In honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding presents “Step Up, Speak Out, End Bullying: PSA Showcase and Awards”.

The Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding wants to find out what your solutions to bullying are and to share them with Southern Arizona. They are inviting you to take part in their Public Service Announcement contest by creating your own 30-second video PSA with the theme “Step Up, Speak Out, End Bullying.”

Cash and prizes are up for grabs and the winning PSAs will be aired on local television and converted to radio format. It’s your chance to Step Up, Speak Out and End Bullying.

Those entering are encouraged to have fun with the process, to be creative and to choose positive, nonviolent solutions for dealing with this issue. Good luck and thank you for joining us as we continue to strive for the end of bullying.

For details about submitting a PSA, go to www.endofbullying.com

A Project of the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding in Collaboration with:
Cox Communications, Pima County Attorney’s Office, Homicide Survivors, So. AZ Center Against Sexual Assault, Our Family Services, Tucson Unified School District, Community Partnership of So. AZ, Wingspan, and the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.

update: Take the Civility Pledge & notes from this PSA event (click here).

Sounds like an interesting & innovative forum, to combine theater with the quest for more diversity, and ultimately social change.

There’s an article on page 6 about Daniel, the brave intern of Congressmember Giffords’ office who courageously ran towards the shots on January 8, to assist Gabby. Apparently he cradled her head in his arms as he stopped the bleeding from her head wound, caused by gunfire from suspect Jared Lee Loughner. Daniel has been called a hero by many, and attended President Obama’s State of the Union address on January 25 in Washington, D.C. He also spoke at the Memorial service at the University of Arizona’s McKale Center on January 12. Daniel serves on the City of Tucson’s GLBT Commission and is LD 28 House Rep. Steve Farley‘s campaign manager.

Click here to read the online version of this issue.

Also in this issue is an update on Wingspan (on page 48) by Linda Thomas, program director. Wingspan LGBT advocacy center is mostly volunteer run now, and is located at 430 E. 7th Street (between 3rd and 4th Avenues), phone 520-624-1779, www.wingspan.org. They recently held a senior forum hosted by Pima Council on Aging, to provide information specific to LBGT seniors & their partners.

Wingspan provides an array of social and community services including

* Information and Referral Services provides information about local community resources, groups, activities and events.
* Anti-Violence Project offers crisis intervention and support services to victims of violence and education to the community about these issues.
* Eon Youth Program provides emotional support, social and educational activities, substance abuse prevention, homeless services, and leadership training to youth ages 13-23.
* Health and Wellness provides outreach and information to community members on health disparities while training health providers on LGBT cultural competency issues.
* Senior Pride offers peer-support and social and recreational opportunities for LGBT seniors while also educating service providers about the specific needs of this population.
* Southern Arizona Gender Alliance offers information, support services and social opportunities for transgender people while educating businesses and health and human services providers about transgender issues.
* Advocacy and Public Policy engages the LGBT and allied community in grassroots, community-based social action while strengthening community coalitions and collaborations.
* Puertas Abiertas (Open Doors) provides social and outreach programming that promotes positive awareness for Latino LGBT people.
* Wingspan FilmFest shows high-quality LGBT-themed films representing the diversity of our community that otherwise would not be screened in Southern Arizona.
* Community Space including a free lending library, computer center, and meeting rooms.

Also on page 47 of this February issue are photos of Tucsonans at the Wingspan Night Thing Party on New Year’s Eve, 2010. I recognized Mayor Bob Walkup and his wife Beth, LD 29 Rep. Matt Heinz, Pima County deputy attorney Brad Holland, Southern Arizona Aids Foundation Executive Director Wendell Hicks, and lots of other revelers.

This magazine advertises itself as “Your LGBT News Authority”, and is complimentary on newstands in Tucson and across Arizona. For more information contact Editor/publisher Gina Read at info@ntouchaz.com.

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Moreover, Mayor Walkup and Council Member Paul Cunningham have proclaimed September 23, 2010 (today) as Anti-LGBT Bullying Awareness Day.

“A recent increase in reports of Anti-LGBTQ bullying and harassment at area schools motivated Wingspan advocates and staff to organize the event. The target audiences for the event are affected youth and their guardians, educators, school administrators and staff, as well as concerned community members.

The goal for the event is to raise awareness of this specific type of violence and to gain a commitment from attendees to address this type of violence in their respective schools and campuses. Local advocates and experts will be speaking at the event. Representatives from local organizations working to end violence will be available at a community resource fair held in conjunction with the event. ”

For more information on the event or to participate in the resource fair, please contact AVP Manager Oscar Jimenez at ojimenez@wingspan.org, or 520-624-1779.

And congratulations to Wingspan for just being awarded the Tucson Weekly’s 2010 “Best Local Activist/Advocacy Group” award for seven years in a row. (Tucson Weekly’s Best of Tucson issue of 9/23/10, www.tucsonweekly.com).

And for a movie on this very topic — Himmel Park Branch Library will be hosting a re-screening of “Out in the Silence” on Saturday, September 25, 2010 between 2:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. Local musician and singer Namoli Brennet wrote and performed the music for this film. This PBS documentary is open to the public and free.

DVD movie cover

“Out in the Silence is more than a movie, it’s part of the movement for fairness, equality and human rights for GLBT people.” (from the movie’s website)

I saw this movie at an earlier screening at Himmel library, and it is a powerful documentary about a 15 year old male teenager in rural Pennsylvania, facing discrimination and constant harassment for being openly gay at his high school. Find out what he has to do to overcome this bullying. It really made me reflect upon how difficult it is to be “different” in a rural setting, and how sad it is when adults (teachers & administrators) let the bullying continue. For more info contact Librarian Suzanne (Sue) Parker at 520-594-5305, suzanne.parker@pima.gov.

Himmel Library is at 1035 N. Treat Ave (SW corner of E. 1st St, south of Speedway).

Wingspan is located at 430 East Seventh Street, just a short walk east of 4th Ave.
Website: www.wingspan.org. I’m glad to see Wingspan marking the first year anniversary at this new location with an open house.

Eon youth are also invited to enjoy the festivities with the community at the Wingspan center. “Eon works to strengthen the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and straight ally youth community by creating social opportunities, providing information and support on health issues, advocating for youth rights, and challenging society’s perceptions of youth.”

I wrote about their move last July, 2009 from their larger 2 story facility to their present one across E. 7th Street (click here). Drop on by and learn more about the terrific work done by Wingspan, Southern Arizona’s only LGBT center.

Coming up shortly on July 15 from their newsletter as well:

“The Wingspan Anti-Violence Programs (AVP) is organizing a community event to raise awareness of Anti-Gay/Trans bullying in local area middle and elementary schools. The event was motivated by a recent increase in calls to the crisis line from community members personally or vicariously affected by school violence.

The goal for the community event is to draw attention to Anti-Gay/Trans bullying in local area middle and elementary schools and serve as a catalyst for cultural change.

LGBT issues are taboo subjects for many middle and elementary schools, leaving students to suffer in silence. Affected students and their parents need the support.

The AVP staff, AVP advisory committee and community members had an initial planning meeting in June. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at the SAAF offices at 375 S. Euclid Avenue. Interested community members who want to help plan the event are invited to attend the July 15 meeting.” (SAAF stands for Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation)

For more information, please contact AVP Manager Oscar Jimenez at ojimenez@wingspan.org.

Anti-gay bullying is a problem in our Tucson schools, and I’m glad to see this ATV group and other community members working to combat it.

AIDS ribbon

Read the full text of the Resolution below, unanimously (5-0) passed by the Board on May 11, 2010 and signed by Board Chair Ramon Valadez.

“WHEREAS, people of Pima County will join those in more than 1,200 other communities in more than 100 countries to observe the 27th annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, the oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaign for HIV/AIDS awareness in the world; and

WHEREAS, the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is based on four simple principles: to honor the memory of those lost to AIDS; to show support for those living with HIV and AIDS; to raise community awareness and eliminate stigma related to HIV and AIDS; and to mobilize community involvement in the fight against HIV and AIDS; and

WHEREAS, our observance in Pima County derives from the cooperation of many local agencies, including AIDS Ribbon Tucson, Be Positive Tucson, City of Tucson Human Relations Commission, Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network, Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona, and Wingspan; and

WHEREAS, HIV/AIDS continues to impact the lives of citizens of all ages, races, and genders living and working in Pima County and across Southern Arizona.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Pima County Board of Supervisors hereby declares May 16, 2010, to be:
“INTERNATIONAL AIDS CANDLELIGHT MEMORIAL DAY”
in Pima County, and encourages everyone to join together in the family-friendly International AIDS Candlelight Memorial event in Himmel Park on Sunday, May 16, at 6 p.m.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 11th day of May, 2010.”

One of my dear friends F. Leo Brown died from AIDS in 1991 in New York City. I will light a candle in his memory tonight. For more info: www.candlelightmemorial.org.
_____________________________________

Maurice with his register to vote sign, taken by Chris Tanz

If you have a photo of Maurice which you would like me to post online in this gallery, please send to my email address at carolynclassen@yahoo.com.

The Celebration of Life of Dr. Maurice Grossman will be held on Sunday, February 7, 5:30 pm at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Avenue, with stories, sharings, and farewells.

Maurice as Pride Parade Grand Marshall, courtesy of Wingspan

Here’s a photo of Maurice heading into the Conrad Wilde art gallery (formerly on 4th Avenue, now on E. 6th Street):

Maurice at art gallery, courtesy of Wingspan

Maurice and his register to vote sign, taken by Vincent Wicks

Maurice and Darla Wandell, photo taken by Lisa McAllister

Maurice and friend Vincent Wicks on New Year's Eve, courtesy of Vincent

Another photo of New Year’s Eve 2009, with friend Tom Cline, courtesy of David Morden:

Tom Cline and Maurice at New Year's Eve 2009

Pat Woelke and Maurice at the Loft Theater, taken by Luanne Withee

Maurice, Andrea Dalessandro and Steve Cody, taken by Emily Herrell

Maruice with Arizona Together tag, courtesy of Ross Grossman

Maurice Grossman

A friend of many of us, Democratic activist Maurice Grossman, age 82, passed away on January 21 following heart valve surgery at TMC Hospital.

Maurice was a retired art professor from the U of A (1955 to 1989), who continued his ceramic art work at his studio at his home in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood. He was dedicated to many social causes, and very active in the Southern Arizona Stonewall Democrats (a GLBT group), Democrats of Greater Tucson, Wingspan, and Sam Hughes Cares for Seniors, a volunteer program providing mostly transit services to fellow neighbors.

Maurice was the Grand Marshall in last October’s Pride Parade in Tucson, and he was always a participant at Tucson’s Aidswalk, also held in October.

I knew Maurice as a friend, neighbor, and fellow activist, and I will miss him, as will many of us in Tucson. Farewell dear friend. He told me he would not live to see gay marriage pass in Arizona, and he was right. We have to carry on for him.

Jan. 25 update: KUAT Channel 6 is airing an art interview with Maurice by Sooyeon Lee tonight at 6:30 p.m. Or watch it online at: http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2010/1/25/kuat-remembering-a-pioneer/

The Celebration of Life of Dr. Maurice Grossman will be held on Sunday, February 7, 5:30 pm at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Avenue, with stories, sharings, and farewells.

My photo gallery on Maurice, click here.

A myriad of programs are being run by Wingspan, such as an anti-violence crisis hotline, a homeless teen program, another called Senior Pride for the elderly. Check out all this and more at their website, www.wingspan.org. There’s also a free lending library, community meeting rooms, even a cybercenter.

Recently Wingspan board President Cynthia Garcia sent out an email alert to the community about restructuring due to hard economic times, including the resignation of the Executive Director.  Jason Cianciotto will stay only through July 31, paid  at only $1, as Wingspan is returning to an all-volunteer agency.  Read the text of the July 17 alert here from their website:

http://www.wingspan.org/content/news_wingspan_details.php?story_id=670

As a straight ally, I have been to several events and receptions at Wingspan, along with my husband. Sign up for their weekly online newsletter which has lots of activities to participate in and support. The well attended Annual Dinner in September will also be reorganized into something different according to Board  President Garcia.

Please consider a donation (no matter how small) to help this worthy organization continue its programs.  Times are hard, and this group needs our support now.